Monday, December 31, 2007
Comic Book Overview of 2007
Hello, it's time for my end of the year comic book wrap-up for 2007! I'll mention as many books as I feel like mentioning, and leave out whatever I feel like leaving out.
DC's 52 wrapped up nicely and turned out to be a far better series than I was expecting. Still, I got to read it free courtesy of my friend D, who buys some comic books through us, so it might've looked better from that "free" angle. WWIII, which came at the end of 52, was a jumbled bunch of plot solutions looking for a story to hang on, and as such was a terrible let-down. And Countdown was bad from the start. Even free I didn't want to read it, and D dumped it quickly as well.
Spider-Man: One More Day was a mess. Didn't like it. Glad I didn't pay for it (thank you, D).
I read some Action Comics and Superman this year, all due to D's purchasing of same. I just haven't been impressed with them overall. Certainly nothing stands out as exciting enough to mention.
I read some Batman and Detective Comics this year, all due to D's purchasing of same. As with Superman, I wasn't impressed. I'm just not a fan of the character.
I dumped Birds of Prey when Gail Simone stopped writing it, and then picked up Wonder Woman instead. I don't know how much I'll read Wonder Woman, I've never been a fan of the character, but I do like the writing. It hasn't hooked me like Birds of Prey did.
I didn't really read much Marvel, but I did pick up the Wisdom mini-series because Paul Cornell, who once wrote me into one of his books, was writing it. I didn't understand a word of it, but I think I liked it.
My friend D has always been a Marvel fan, but isn't happy with the way the Marvel books have been going lately. Marvel Adventures: Iron Man helped solve one of his dilemmas, as he wanted to read Iron Man, but couldn't stand Civil War. I don't mind the book, but it doesn't resonate with me.
I enjoyed Shadowpact this past year. A surprisingly good book, but not one that I will keep getting in 2008. Sorry, but I am trying to trim the list.
Another book D bought was Shazam: Monster Society of Evil. It had good art, but the story wasn't quite what I was hoping for.
I was interested in The Spirit, but I didn't expect to like it. Well, what do you know? I did enjoy it. And we're still getting it.
I want to like Justice League of America, but I haven't been at all impressed with the title in 2007. Needs more Aquaman, for one. Needs better writing, for another. I'm just getting jaded with the old standards, maybe. JLA Classified was up and down all over the place. Nineteen issues came out in 2007, and I remember none of the plotlines off the top of my head.
Justice Society of America has two of my favorite characters (apart from Aquaman) in it. Ma Hunkel, the original (and best) Red Tornado is now mentoring the young'uns, and I love her in this book. And the new Mr Terrific is a character that has grown on me to the point where I can't imagine the DCU without him. I like this book far more than I liked JLA over the past year. And JSA Classified has also been solid, though far inferior to its parent book. It's still better than JLA.
Because I like Mr Terrific so much, Checkmate has been a book I've enjoyed over the last year. There are times I want to throw it across the room, but the intrigue has been mostly interesting.
The last four issues of Justice came out in 2007. It was... um... very pretty.
My favorite book from the big two, after Aquaman, has been Justice League Unlimited. It's been consistently fun, consistently readable, and introduces characters I'm only partially familiar with in such good stories that it's hard to go wrong with this book. I'm looking forward to Super Friends and Tiny Titans in 2008: if they live up to the quality of this book, they'll be great.
I read the first three issues of the new Brave and the Bold, and wanted to like it. The concept is good. The execution was less so. I'll pick it up if Aquaman shows up, otherwise it's not something I'm interested in.
Oh, Aquaman. Aquaman. Aquaman. Kurt Busiek had a plan, but was hampered by deadlines and other work. Tad Williams took over and wrote some of the best, most intensely compressed comics I've read in ages, and managed to wrap up the entire series from issue 1 to 57 in a coherent and fantastic way. Which will probably be ignored by every other writer. Like the fact that, at the end of the series, the new Aquaman is going by his middle name. Or the fact that the original Aquaman isn't entirely gone. I wish more people had given Tad's run a go. Even so, I'm pleased with what he did with it.
And in other news, Aquaman got a Showcase Presents this year, which I enjoyed. And he's getting another in 2008. So I'm pleased with that, too.
Speaking of Aquaman, I read the Batman and the Outsiders/Aquaman crossover, and was all set to buy the new Batman and the Outsiders series when the writers were switched and Aquaman was dumped from the book. I tried the first issue anyway, and it was wretched.
Black Canary and Green Arrow's wedding was an event I wanted to like, but didn't.
Another event, Green Lantern's Sinestro Wars was one big slog with a tiny payoff at the end. I was not impressed. I do like Soranik Natu, but she's not enough to hold my interest in something this chaotic and boring. Tad Williams could've told the whole thing in two issues, and it would've read much better.
Another event I read, thanks to D, was Witchblade: First Born. I won't pretend I understood it all, but it wasn't that bad a read. Am I gonna get beaten up for admitting I didn't hate it?
Powers was unexceptional in 2007. Part of me is wondering if it's even still coming out. I love Oeming's artwork, though. And it was fun to meet him at Emerald City Comicon. Heidi really should've been able to take him at arm wrestling.
Noble Causes has always been the ultimate of the soap opera superhero books, and it continued to live up to its rep in 2007. A good book, but I haven't seen an issue in a few months.
Action Philosophers is one of those books I'm going to really miss. Witty, intelligent, and using the comic book form to do what it does best. Truly, these are great books and I highly recommend the collections to any nutcase who wants to learn a bit more about philosophy. As an introduction to philosophy, these are fine texts.
One book I really wish I'd seen more of was Age of Bronze. There were some rumblings of Eric Shanower taking the book to the web and only publishing collections. I sincerely hoped he would. I continue to buy the hardcover collections of the series, while I eagerly anticipate the single issues.
I've been reading Girl Genius faithfully on the website, and as usual bought the collection (I actually got the hardcover for myself and the softcover for my sister, who is also a fan).
Another comic I read online is Supernatural Law, and I bought it when it came out in 2007.
I adore Castle Waiting, and hope that someday we'll find out more about Lady Jain's true history. Even though it wanders a bit much, it's still a fun book and I love it.
More books I want to see more of in 2008:
A book I never intended to get into was DMZ, but Brian Wood is determined to have me as a fan, and sent me the first few issues. After reading them, I had to keep reading. Go ahead, tell me I'm weak. Doesn't matter, the book is GOOD. It stays on my reading list.
Speaking of Brian Wood, I'm also into Local. I only recorded purchasing 3 issues in 2007 (wha?) but I recall mostly enjoying them, even as I grew more uncertain of the direction the book was taking.
And the last word on Brian Wood is Northlanders. With only one issue out so far, it's too soon to call this one... but as a gal who studied Vikings and enjoys historical fiction, it's got a LOT of potential and I can't wait to see where he goes with it.
Another book I can't say much about yet is Doctor Who Classics. Ok, I could say tons about it, but only one issue has come out, so I hardly want to spoil it for everyone who hasn't already got all those stories in at least three other formats. The production values on the book are excellent, and I'm looking forward to new original Doctor Who stories, starting very soon, as well.
I also enjoyed Fallen Angel this year, but as in past years I'm not sure why I like it. It's not really my kind of book. But I'm always intrigued enough to get the next issue.
My friend D bought Lone Ranger, which I didn't like much, and The Phantom, which I did like, in 2007. The Lone Ranger has a pace slower than a snail in molasses and hardly any dialogue. The Phantom is a rip-roaring pulp adventure.
On the subject of manga, I got and enjoyed the third volume of Dramacon this year. Sadly, it's the final volume, but happily, it all held together and worked.
Two books I don't mention much are the Viz Manga anthologies Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat. Both are worth the subscription price (generally half the cover price) and both had good material in 2007. My favorite of them is, of course, Hikaru No Go, and in addition to getting the anthologies I've also bought all the collections of that particular manga, and plan to get the anime of it if I ever get rich enough to buy it all. Once I've read the anthologies, I donate them to the local library, where they are used as prizes by the Teen Librarian.
And then there was True Story, Swear to God, a wonderful romance comic in a medium with very few romance stories running. It's been a great book, and I'm glad it found a spot at Image.
Another very consistent book is Usagi Yojimbo which hit 100 issues at Dark Horse in 2007. There isn't a lot I can say about this book that I haven't already. It has always fallen in my top 5 books, and this year is no exception.
Ah, PS238. This continues to be my favorite comic book. Period. Yes, I love Aquaman (and Tad Williams did a great job on it), but this book is always wonderful. You really don't have to take my word for it, you can read it from the start if you want.
So, top book of 2007 for me is:
followed by Aquaman, Justice League Unlimited, Usagi Yojimbo, and True Story, Swear to God. Pretty much in that order.
Happy New Year. And please, feel free to disagree.
DC's 52 wrapped up nicely and turned out to be a far better series than I was expecting. Still, I got to read it free courtesy of my friend D, who buys some comic books through us, so it might've looked better from that "free" angle. WWIII, which came at the end of 52, was a jumbled bunch of plot solutions looking for a story to hang on, and as such was a terrible let-down. And Countdown was bad from the start. Even free I didn't want to read it, and D dumped it quickly as well.
Spider-Man: One More Day was a mess. Didn't like it. Glad I didn't pay for it (thank you, D).
I read some Action Comics and Superman this year, all due to D's purchasing of same. I just haven't been impressed with them overall. Certainly nothing stands out as exciting enough to mention.
I read some Batman and Detective Comics this year, all due to D's purchasing of same. As with Superman, I wasn't impressed. I'm just not a fan of the character.
I dumped Birds of Prey when Gail Simone stopped writing it, and then picked up Wonder Woman instead. I don't know how much I'll read Wonder Woman, I've never been a fan of the character, but I do like the writing. It hasn't hooked me like Birds of Prey did.
I didn't really read much Marvel, but I did pick up the Wisdom mini-series because Paul Cornell, who once wrote me into one of his books, was writing it. I didn't understand a word of it, but I think I liked it.
My friend D has always been a Marvel fan, but isn't happy with the way the Marvel books have been going lately. Marvel Adventures: Iron Man helped solve one of his dilemmas, as he wanted to read Iron Man, but couldn't stand Civil War. I don't mind the book, but it doesn't resonate with me.
I enjoyed Shadowpact this past year. A surprisingly good book, but not one that I will keep getting in 2008. Sorry, but I am trying to trim the list.
Another book D bought was Shazam: Monster Society of Evil. It had good art, but the story wasn't quite what I was hoping for.
I was interested in The Spirit, but I didn't expect to like it. Well, what do you know? I did enjoy it. And we're still getting it.
I want to like Justice League of America, but I haven't been at all impressed with the title in 2007. Needs more Aquaman, for one. Needs better writing, for another. I'm just getting jaded with the old standards, maybe. JLA Classified was up and down all over the place. Nineteen issues came out in 2007, and I remember none of the plotlines off the top of my head.
Justice Society of America has two of my favorite characters (apart from Aquaman) in it. Ma Hunkel, the original (and best) Red Tornado is now mentoring the young'uns, and I love her in this book. And the new Mr Terrific is a character that has grown on me to the point where I can't imagine the DCU without him. I like this book far more than I liked JLA over the past year. And JSA Classified has also been solid, though far inferior to its parent book. It's still better than JLA.
Because I like Mr Terrific so much, Checkmate has been a book I've enjoyed over the last year. There are times I want to throw it across the room, but the intrigue has been mostly interesting.
The last four issues of Justice came out in 2007. It was... um... very pretty.
My favorite book from the big two, after Aquaman, has been Justice League Unlimited. It's been consistently fun, consistently readable, and introduces characters I'm only partially familiar with in such good stories that it's hard to go wrong with this book. I'm looking forward to Super Friends and Tiny Titans in 2008: if they live up to the quality of this book, they'll be great.
I read the first three issues of the new Brave and the Bold, and wanted to like it. The concept is good. The execution was less so. I'll pick it up if Aquaman shows up, otherwise it's not something I'm interested in.
Oh, Aquaman. Aquaman. Aquaman. Kurt Busiek had a plan, but was hampered by deadlines and other work. Tad Williams took over and wrote some of the best, most intensely compressed comics I've read in ages, and managed to wrap up the entire series from issue 1 to 57 in a coherent and fantastic way. Which will probably be ignored by every other writer. Like the fact that, at the end of the series, the new Aquaman is going by his middle name. Or the fact that the original Aquaman isn't entirely gone. I wish more people had given Tad's run a go. Even so, I'm pleased with what he did with it.
And in other news, Aquaman got a Showcase Presents this year, which I enjoyed. And he's getting another in 2008. So I'm pleased with that, too.
Speaking of Aquaman, I read the Batman and the Outsiders/Aquaman crossover, and was all set to buy the new Batman and the Outsiders series when the writers were switched and Aquaman was dumped from the book. I tried the first issue anyway, and it was wretched.
Black Canary and Green Arrow's wedding was an event I wanted to like, but didn't.
Another event, Green Lantern's Sinestro Wars was one big slog with a tiny payoff at the end. I was not impressed. I do like Soranik Natu, but she's not enough to hold my interest in something this chaotic and boring. Tad Williams could've told the whole thing in two issues, and it would've read much better.
Another event I read, thanks to D, was Witchblade: First Born. I won't pretend I understood it all, but it wasn't that bad a read. Am I gonna get beaten up for admitting I didn't hate it?
Powers was unexceptional in 2007. Part of me is wondering if it's even still coming out. I love Oeming's artwork, though. And it was fun to meet him at Emerald City Comicon. Heidi really should've been able to take him at arm wrestling.
Noble Causes has always been the ultimate of the soap opera superhero books, and it continued to live up to its rep in 2007. A good book, but I haven't seen an issue in a few months.
Action Philosophers is one of those books I'm going to really miss. Witty, intelligent, and using the comic book form to do what it does best. Truly, these are great books and I highly recommend the collections to any nutcase who wants to learn a bit more about philosophy. As an introduction to philosophy, these are fine texts.
One book I really wish I'd seen more of was Age of Bronze. There were some rumblings of Eric Shanower taking the book to the web and only publishing collections. I sincerely hoped he would. I continue to buy the hardcover collections of the series, while I eagerly anticipate the single issues.
I've been reading Girl Genius faithfully on the website, and as usual bought the collection (I actually got the hardcover for myself and the softcover for my sister, who is also a fan).
Another comic I read online is Supernatural Law, and I bought it when it came out in 2007.
I adore Castle Waiting, and hope that someday we'll find out more about Lady Jain's true history. Even though it wanders a bit much, it's still a fun book and I love it.
More books I want to see more of in 2008:
- Amelia Rules (only two issues in 2007)
- Dorothy (one issue in 2007)
- Oz/Wonderland Chronicles (one issue in 2007)
- Tony Loco (one issue in 2007)
- Oddly Normal (one collection in 2007)
A book I never intended to get into was DMZ, but Brian Wood is determined to have me as a fan, and sent me the first few issues. After reading them, I had to keep reading. Go ahead, tell me I'm weak. Doesn't matter, the book is GOOD. It stays on my reading list.
Speaking of Brian Wood, I'm also into Local. I only recorded purchasing 3 issues in 2007 (wha?) but I recall mostly enjoying them, even as I grew more uncertain of the direction the book was taking.
And the last word on Brian Wood is Northlanders. With only one issue out so far, it's too soon to call this one... but as a gal who studied Vikings and enjoys historical fiction, it's got a LOT of potential and I can't wait to see where he goes with it.
Another book I can't say much about yet is Doctor Who Classics. Ok, I could say tons about it, but only one issue has come out, so I hardly want to spoil it for everyone who hasn't already got all those stories in at least three other formats. The production values on the book are excellent, and I'm looking forward to new original Doctor Who stories, starting very soon, as well.
I also enjoyed Fallen Angel this year, but as in past years I'm not sure why I like it. It's not really my kind of book. But I'm always intrigued enough to get the next issue.
My friend D bought Lone Ranger, which I didn't like much, and The Phantom, which I did like, in 2007. The Lone Ranger has a pace slower than a snail in molasses and hardly any dialogue. The Phantom is a rip-roaring pulp adventure.
On the subject of manga, I got and enjoyed the third volume of Dramacon this year. Sadly, it's the final volume, but happily, it all held together and worked.
Two books I don't mention much are the Viz Manga anthologies Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat. Both are worth the subscription price (generally half the cover price) and both had good material in 2007. My favorite of them is, of course, Hikaru No Go, and in addition to getting the anthologies I've also bought all the collections of that particular manga, and plan to get the anime of it if I ever get rich enough to buy it all. Once I've read the anthologies, I donate them to the local library, where they are used as prizes by the Teen Librarian.
And then there was True Story, Swear to God, a wonderful romance comic in a medium with very few romance stories running. It's been a great book, and I'm glad it found a spot at Image.
Another very consistent book is Usagi Yojimbo which hit 100 issues at Dark Horse in 2007. There isn't a lot I can say about this book that I haven't already. It has always fallen in my top 5 books, and this year is no exception.
Ah, PS238. This continues to be my favorite comic book. Period. Yes, I love Aquaman (and Tad Williams did a great job on it), but this book is always wonderful. You really don't have to take my word for it, you can read it from the start if you want.
So, top book of 2007 for me is:
PS238
followed by Aquaman, Justice League Unlimited, Usagi Yojimbo, and True Story, Swear to God. Pretty much in that order.
Happy New Year. And please, feel free to disagree.
Labels: Best Comic Book, Comic Books
Last Links
Polite Scott's Worst Comic Book Medicine of 2007 and Best Comic Book Medicine of 2007.
Benazir Bhutto was one of us.
Oh my, Ken Jennings had an interesting flight home.
Pancakes in a Can. Hmmm. Wanna try it. Watch the video on their website, it's hilarious.
Google Sightseeing 2007 Awards.
And also check out Archaeology's Top 10 Discoveries of 2007.
And then there is Vintage Seattle's Year in Review 2007.
I want to make Flying Spaghetti Monster Cookies for Christmas next year.
Pterodactyl distracts driver. A commenter on Cryptomundo may have the answer to what he really saw.
I think this article is mostly bull. If I've proved anything, it's that it is possible for an obese person to change habits enough to become... er, not obese. As I lost weight, my hunger and cravings also changed, which this article implies is impossible because such things are genetically determined. While that's no doubt true of some small percentage of people, I think most people can lose weight if they can find that switch in the brain that allows them to commit to lifestyle changes.
Benazir Bhutto was one of us.
Oh my, Ken Jennings had an interesting flight home.
Pancakes in a Can. Hmmm. Wanna try it. Watch the video on their website, it's hilarious.
Google Sightseeing 2007 Awards.
And also check out Archaeology's Top 10 Discoveries of 2007.
And then there is Vintage Seattle's Year in Review 2007.
I want to make Flying Spaghetti Monster Cookies for Christmas next year.
Pterodactyl distracts driver. A commenter on Cryptomundo may have the answer to what he really saw.
I think this article is mostly bull. If I've proved anything, it's that it is possible for an obese person to change habits enough to become... er, not obese. As I lost weight, my hunger and cravings also changed, which this article implies is impossible because such things are genetically determined. While that's no doubt true of some small percentage of people, I think most people can lose weight if they can find that switch in the brain that allows them to commit to lifestyle changes.
Labels: Cryptozoology, Flying Spaghetti Monster, Links, Polite Scott, Seattle, Weight Loss
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Last Minute Links
More Harry Potter? Maybe an 8th book someday.
Google continues to become more evil by adding unwanted social networking without the ability to opt-out. If it continues, it's time to stop using Google.
You may remember Project Download, in which a gal who needed multiple surgeries was hoping to earn the money through an offer by a company called MegaUpload. Well, on her LJ community we first learned that MegaUpload refused to pay up... then, when all hope was lost, someone donated the money through Reality Charity, and now Erin will be able to get the surgeries she needs.
Smart child uses a mousetrap to catch a thief.
Mars has a 96% Chances of Nothing Happening.
Yikes. 'Tis the Season for brawling.
Starbucks actually helps other coffee shops. When they move into an area.
Most sought-after out-of-print books in America.
Google continues to become more evil by adding unwanted social networking without the ability to opt-out. If it continues, it's time to stop using Google.
You may remember Project Download, in which a gal who needed multiple surgeries was hoping to earn the money through an offer by a company called MegaUpload. Well, on her LJ community we first learned that MegaUpload refused to pay up... then, when all hope was lost, someone donated the money through Reality Charity, and now Erin will be able to get the surgeries she needs.
Smart child uses a mousetrap to catch a thief.
Mars has a 96% Chances of Nothing Happening.
Yikes. 'Tis the Season for brawling.
Starbucks actually helps other coffee shops. When they move into an area.
Most sought-after out-of-print books in America.
Labels: Astronomy, Books, Christmas, Google, Harry Potter, Links
Saturday, December 29, 2007
End of the Year Links
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #135: Global Guardians, Sam & Twitch, and Secret Wars II.
Pink vs Blue: "There has been a great diversity of opinion on the subject, but the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for a boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl."
Web designer gets his site back after news of the Gmail exploit and its aftermath spreads across the web.
YouTube: What Song is This? A guy sings a song backwards. Halfway through, the video reverses so you can tell what the song is.
Dead is the doorknob.
Copyright gone mad.
Unfortunately Named Athletes.
An interesting comparison of bookcovers for the same book over time.
Vote on a Saturn Image.
Hmmm. Pay attention to what your children write on notes in restaurants.
Yes: Christmas Eating, In A Nutshell. I hurt so bad right now from overindulgence.
New Persepolis Trailer.
Most Traded in 2007.
Wil Wheaton discovers Doctor Who.
Doctor Who: The Hopes And Fears of All The Years. Hey Paul, write my name into the New Who someday, willya? And not some crossover tale, either.
Gingerbread K9. Yum.
Elayne takes on Oz.
Stolen Pug Image. It's the hypocrisy, people.
Pink vs Blue: "There has been a great diversity of opinion on the subject, but the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for a boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl."
Web designer gets his site back after news of the Gmail exploit and its aftermath spreads across the web.
YouTube: What Song is This? A guy sings a song backwards. Halfway through, the video reverses so you can tell what the song is.
Dead is the doorknob.
Copyright gone mad.
Unfortunately Named Athletes.
An interesting comparison of bookcovers for the same book over time.
Vote on a Saturn Image.
Hmmm. Pay attention to what your children write on notes in restaurants.
Yes: Christmas Eating, In A Nutshell. I hurt so bad right now from overindulgence.
New Persepolis Trailer.
Most Traded in 2007.
Wil Wheaton discovers Doctor Who.
Doctor Who: The Hopes And Fears of All The Years. Hey Paul, write my name into the New Who someday, willya? And not some crossover tale, either.
Gingerbread K9. Yum.
Elayne takes on Oz.
Stolen Pug Image. It's the hypocrisy, people.
Labels: Astronomy, Christmas, Comic Book Urban Legends, Copyfight, Doctor Who, Elayne, Google, Paul Cornell, Pug, Wil Wheaton, Wizard of Oz, YouTube
Friday, December 28, 2007
Links
I'd give you more, but I'm still really not recovered from the last few days.
Warning: Gmail exploit leaves web designer screwed up.
The Circle, Blake M. Petit's 2007 Christmas Story.
A good review of The Christmas Doctor Who Story. I enjoyed it. Both the review and the Doctor Who.
Mmmmm Fudge Daleks.
Warning: Gmail exploit leaves web designer screwed up.
The Circle, Blake M. Petit's 2007 Christmas Story.
A good review of The Christmas Doctor Who Story. I enjoyed it. Both the review and the Doctor Who.
Mmmmm Fudge Daleks.
Labels: Christmas, Doctor Who, Google
Thursday, December 27, 2007
No Blog Kinda Day
Sorry, still recovering from the last few days. More blogging later.
Labels: No Blog Kinda Day
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Two Laptops for Many Children
My brother got two of the One Laptop Per Child laptops for their crowd of children. They expected them to arrive in January, but they arrived in time for Christmas! I'd very much like to take a look at them. I guess this means I'm going to have to visit my brother sometime soon.
In other news: One Laptop Per Child a hit in Peru.
In other news: One Laptop Per Child a hit in Peru.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Final Christmas Thoughts
Snow turned into rain eventually. New Doctor Who appeared on our TiVo through the magic of some sort of computer elves, so we watched it. All-in-all a decent Christmas day. Now if only I could get rid of this cold.
Labels: Christmas, Doctor Who, Weather
Snow?
It's really freakin' me out right now, because it's SNOWING in Seattle on Christmas. Real, honest-to-goodness snow. Coming down out of the sky. In large fluffy flakes of snowy goodness. I've seen a flurry or two on Christmas before, but never this much. I don't think it'll stick (please don't stick) but it's very pretty and not something you generally see on Christmas in Seattle.
Driving down to my parents house on I-405 from Bothell, I spotted a large pink stuffed bunny in the carpool lane. Beyond it were two or three other stuffed animals, including something fairly large in the fast lane. I was easily able to swerve around it, and looking in my rearview mirror I saw it was a stuffed penguin. If I'd been able to safely stop and grab it, I would've.
The cookie plates went over well, despite the lack of the other half of the gift, which never arrived from The Swiss Colony. I don't think I'll be ordering from that company again. At least hubby-Eric slaving in the kitchen paid off with piles of delicious cookies for everyone in the family.
Hubby-Eric got a bathrobe from me last night. His gift to me waits until tomorrow. From my Mom I got a Kiva gift certificate (YAY MOM!) which I've already invested in Uganda. My sister gave me some herbal tea and another Kiva gift certificate (YAY LISA) which is already invested in Paraguay. Another sister gave me "seed money", while another gave me candies and sparkling cider. I also got to see seven nieces and nephews, all at once, in a confined space. Yikes! And I had a hearty breakfast... and no, I'm not counting calories today.
Driving down to my parents house on I-405 from Bothell, I spotted a large pink stuffed bunny in the carpool lane. Beyond it were two or three other stuffed animals, including something fairly large in the fast lane. I was easily able to swerve around it, and looking in my rearview mirror I saw it was a stuffed penguin. If I'd been able to safely stop and grab it, I would've.
The cookie plates went over well, despite the lack of the other half of the gift, which never arrived from The Swiss Colony. I don't think I'll be ordering from that company again. At least hubby-Eric slaving in the kitchen paid off with piles of delicious cookies for everyone in the family.
Hubby-Eric got a bathrobe from me last night. His gift to me waits until tomorrow. From my Mom I got a Kiva gift certificate (YAY MOM!) which I've already invested in Uganda. My sister gave me some herbal tea and another Kiva gift certificate (YAY LISA) which is already invested in Paraguay. Another sister gave me "seed money", while another gave me candies and sparkling cider. I also got to see seven nieces and nephews, all at once, in a confined space. Yikes! And I had a hearty breakfast... and no, I'm not counting calories today.
Labels: Christmas, Christmas Presents, i, Kiva, Seattle, Weather
Christmas Links
Christmas Cards from the Afterlife.
Merry Christmas, have a van in your studio.
A Christmas Tale in pictures.
The Christmas Truce.
Happy Bogart's Birthday, a response to the bogus "war on Christmas".
Merry Christmas, have a van in your studio.
A Christmas Tale in pictures.
The Christmas Truce.
Happy Bogart's Birthday, a response to the bogus "war on Christmas".
Monday, December 24, 2007
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Blogging
For day 22 I got a police officer with a bullhorn. Day 23 was his command center:
So here's a nice view of everything so far, from day 1 until day 23:
So, what will the last day be? A police cruiser? A police dog? A jail cell? Another street barrier?
No. None of those.
Aw.... Merry Christmas! From all the minifigs down in minifigville.
So here's a nice view of everything so far, from day 1 until day 23:
So, what will the last day be? A police cruiser? A police dog? A jail cell? Another street barrier?
No. None of those.
Aw.... Merry Christmas! From all the minifigs down in minifigville.
Labels: Christmas, LEGO, LEGO Advent
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Christmas Eve Eve Links
I like this version: Jack Johnson - Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Advice on last-minute wrapping of presents.
Snopes presents Yule Superstitions.
Christmas story: The Upgrade.
Vintage Wax Christmas.
Just for the heck of it, my 2007 Weight Loss Graph.
Greatest Hoax Ever: Drive Someone Insane with Postcards. Bidding ended at $415.
Advice on last-minute wrapping of presents.
Snopes presents Yule Superstitions.
Christmas story: The Upgrade.
Vintage Wax Christmas.
Just for the heck of it, my 2007 Weight Loss Graph.
Greatest Hoax Ever: Drive Someone Insane with Postcards. Bidding ended at $415.
Labels: Christmas, Links, Weight Loss
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Ripples Through Time - 182
I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.
Adventure #259 (April 1959) - The Octopus Man!
Sinister Mastermind Roland Peters is working on a brain-wave transmitter to duplicate Aquaman's powers when Aquaman catches him, forcing him to use the transmitter in a different way.
Glove Color: Yellow.
Regular Supporting Cast: none.
Aqua-Exclamations: "Jumping Jellyfish!", "Shades of Davy Jones!"
Captured/Knocked Out report: Peters actually manages to punch Aquaman and daze him.
Quotefile: Whalers, "After seeing that, I haven't the heart to kill any more whales today! Head back for port!" The whales thank you. Wait, "today"? Scumbags.
Finny Friends Report: In the body of an octopus, Aquaman attempts to signal to a ship using shreds of an old sail. In the body of a whale, he evades whalers then organizes a group of whales into a landing strip for a plane having engine troubles. In the body of a shark, he "bats" a depth bomb out of the water. Before he can be switched to another animal, he has a swordfish reset the transmitter, then an octopus and whale attack Peters while electric eels destroy the machine.
I like how the machine is originally intended to duplicate Aquaman's powers, but then is able to be adjusted so quickly by the "sinister mastermind". Transferring Aquaman's mind into sea creatures was a neat twist, and it's fun how quickly he adapts to each situation. But the funniest part of this story is how Aquaman is busting Peters for fishing in a preserve, not for his infernal machine.
In the next Ripples Through Time, "How Aquaman Got His Powers!" I'll be into the stories that more of you are likely to have read, so I'm expecting more comments.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
Sinister Mastermind Roland Peters is working on a brain-wave transmitter to duplicate Aquaman's powers when Aquaman catches him, forcing him to use the transmitter in a different way.
Glove Color: Yellow.
Regular Supporting Cast: none.
Aqua-Exclamations: "Jumping Jellyfish!", "Shades of Davy Jones!"
Captured/Knocked Out report: Peters actually manages to punch Aquaman and daze him.
Quotefile: Whalers, "After seeing that, I haven't the heart to kill any more whales today! Head back for port!" The whales thank you. Wait, "today"? Scumbags.
Finny Friends Report: In the body of an octopus, Aquaman attempts to signal to a ship using shreds of an old sail. In the body of a whale, he evades whalers then organizes a group of whales into a landing strip for a plane having engine troubles. In the body of a shark, he "bats" a depth bomb out of the water. Before he can be switched to another animal, he has a swordfish reset the transmitter, then an octopus and whale attack Peters while electric eels destroy the machine.
I like how the machine is originally intended to duplicate Aquaman's powers, but then is able to be adjusted so quickly by the "sinister mastermind". Transferring Aquaman's mind into sea creatures was a neat twist, and it's fun how quickly he adapts to each situation. But the funniest part of this story is how Aquaman is busting Peters for fishing in a preserve, not for his infernal machine.
In the next Ripples Through Time, "How Aquaman Got His Powers!" I'll be into the stories that more of you are likely to have read, so I'm expecting more comments.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
Labels: Aquaman, Ripples Through Time
Friday, December 21, 2007
Catching Up Linkages
Happy Solstice.
You must watch the video Mark Evanier linked to, which has the BEST Christmas song ever.
I admit, I'm laughing at the poor dogs. Thanks for pointing this out, Gordondym.
LucasFilm Christmas Cards.
Cute Overload revisits Nora the Piano-Playing Cat.
Harry Potter and the Bickering Geneticists.
Captain Kirk mistletoe training video.
Nerd Trailers.
Oooh, hydrokinetic energy!
I have a strong desire to try this recipe, and freeze them as suggested by Aaron Williams.
And 400 years later, 2009 will be the Internation Year of Astronomy.
Medical Myths.
The Hajj has Free WiFi for the pilgrims. Awesome.
Can a virgin human give birth? Well, not a GUY human.
Starbucks' most expensive drink. I don't drink coffee, so this sounds truly disgusting to me.
Harry Potter plus South Park equals...
Bloggity reader Jack Pendarvis makes the NYTimes.
I'd like to point out some eBay auctions for ROM Spaceknight Paintings, the proceeds of which will be going to Bill Mantlo's medical care.
Paying it forward by paying for the car behind yours.
Pocky Marketing Ploy. Y'mean they have to actually MARKET Pocky? It doesn't just sell itself? No, I don't want the painting packages. I'll settle for the dark chocolate pocky, personally.
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #134. Cypher, Kryptonians, and The Champions.
Torchwood Season Two Trailer. Not for the kiddies.
You must watch the video Mark Evanier linked to, which has the BEST Christmas song ever.
I admit, I'm laughing at the poor dogs. Thanks for pointing this out, Gordondym.
LucasFilm Christmas Cards.
Cute Overload revisits Nora the Piano-Playing Cat.
Harry Potter and the Bickering Geneticists.
Captain Kirk mistletoe training video.
Nerd Trailers.
Oooh, hydrokinetic energy!
I have a strong desire to try this recipe, and freeze them as suggested by Aaron Williams.
And 400 years later, 2009 will be the Internation Year of Astronomy.
Medical Myths.
The Hajj has Free WiFi for the pilgrims. Awesome.
Can a virgin human give birth? Well, not a GUY human.
Starbucks' most expensive drink. I don't drink coffee, so this sounds truly disgusting to me.
Harry Potter plus South Park equals...
Bloggity reader Jack Pendarvis makes the NYTimes.
I'd like to point out some eBay auctions for ROM Spaceknight Paintings, the proceeds of which will be going to Bill Mantlo's medical care.
Paying it forward by paying for the car behind yours.
Pocky Marketing Ploy. Y'mean they have to actually MARKET Pocky? It doesn't just sell itself? No, I don't want the painting packages. I'll settle for the dark chocolate pocky, personally.
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #134. Cypher, Kryptonians, and The Champions.
Torchwood Season Two Trailer. Not for the kiddies.
Labels: Astronomy, Christmas, Comic Book Urban Legends, Doctor Who, eBay, Harry Potter, Movies, Pocky, Star Trek
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Blogging
These last two days made me laugh out loud. Orin the broompusher (thanks, David) didn't get an elephant like I hoped, but he did get two different styles of garbage containers. The funniest bit about that is that each garbage bin came with LEGO garbage to toss in your pristine LEGO streets to make Orin sweep or shovel it up!
Don't believe me? Check out the instructions (on the flap of each day's advent box) and see how the extra pieces are artfully arranged around the garbage bins:
My next LEGO Advent post will be the final one... showing the last three days worth of surprises before Christmas...
Labels: Christmas, LEGO, LEGO Advent
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Ripples Through Time - 181
I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.
Adventure #258 (March 1959) - The Incredible Fish of Doctor Danton!
A radioactive cloud turns all the fish at an experimental aquatic station into dangerous mutants.
Glove Color: Yellow.
Regular Supporting Cast: none.
Aqua-Exclamations: "Galloping Sea Horses!"
Quotefile: Dr. Danton, "Hmmm... That strange cloud of dust descending on the island... it may be radioactive fallout from some distant nuclear experiment! I'd better seek shelter at once!" What a world!
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman rides a dolphin in this story, Topo is nowhere to be seen. Aquaman orders flying fish to use an old anchor rope to tie up the mutant swordfish's metal cutting saw. He has a group of regular electric eels surround and contain the blasts of the mutant electric eel. Pairs of lobsters tentacle-cuff the mutant octopus. Aquaman has the mutant whale put out a fire on a ship.
This one has a definite Golden Age feel to it. There's a giant radioactive cloud that causes the fish on an isolated island to mutate. The mutants escape and start causing trouble. Aquaman has to round 'em up. The science is completely dreadful, as usual, with the mutations happening immediately and then wearing off. Natural mutations are mentioned, but this would be akin to an adult cow spontaneously growing another head, not a calf being born with two heads.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
A radioactive cloud turns all the fish at an experimental aquatic station into dangerous mutants.
Glove Color: Yellow.
Regular Supporting Cast: none.
Aqua-Exclamations: "Galloping Sea Horses!"
Quotefile: Dr. Danton, "Hmmm... That strange cloud of dust descending on the island... it may be radioactive fallout from some distant nuclear experiment! I'd better seek shelter at once!" What a world!
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman rides a dolphin in this story, Topo is nowhere to be seen. Aquaman orders flying fish to use an old anchor rope to tie up the mutant swordfish's metal cutting saw. He has a group of regular electric eels surround and contain the blasts of the mutant electric eel. Pairs of lobsters tentacle-cuff the mutant octopus. Aquaman has the mutant whale put out a fire on a ship.
This one has a definite Golden Age feel to it. There's a giant radioactive cloud that causes the fish on an isolated island to mutate. The mutants escape and start causing trouble. Aquaman has to round 'em up. The science is completely dreadful, as usual, with the mutations happening immediately and then wearing off. Natural mutations are mentioned, but this would be akin to an adult cow spontaneously growing another head, not a calf being born with two heads.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
Labels: Aquaman, Ripples Through Time
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Wednesday Night Almost Random Links
IDW has some previews up, including the new Doctor Who book.
Speaking of Doctor Who, Catherine Tate makes stuff up. It would be more accurate to say that she's predicting Tennant leaving, not saying he is.
Scott Dunbier writes about the Godson.
We need more contracts like this one in the world.
Kevin Smith weighs in on adults who mess with kid's self-esteem.
Money folded to look like... well, people in hats. There are some good Abes and Georges even. It's Moneygami!
Which is better, real or fake Christmas trees? Personally, I have a little two foot high fake tree that I adore, and I plan on using it until it cannot support its lights anymore.
Much better gift wrapping.
A local politician tested toys for lead, and 10 percent of them were unsafe. Nice. Let's just poison the next generation, hey?
Wowio users, download to support Bill Mantlo.
Ah, yes... upgrading to XP from Vista.
Cutre Overload is proud to be mentioned by National Geographic. Eddie McBlobbules, heh.
In the MetaFilter tradition: . (for Dan Fogelberg)
Lifehacker's 2007 Guide to Free Software and Webapps. I'm already using a few of those, and downloaded more after reading the list.
I really don't like dramatic versions of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but I have no problem with the original text, some of the genius of which filkertom points out. The language of the story is just amazing. I just get tired of seeing it constantly.
First Nations teacher kidnapped... er, taken from school, causing a wee bit of concern.
Finding a son at Lowe's Hardware Store. An impressive story, I thought.
Google still hasn't fixed the garbage with Google Reader, although they've made half-hearted attempts to address some of the issues. I'm enjoying playing with Bloglines Beta, which has me reading some of my feeds in a different way.
Ah, finally an SUV gets what it deserves. The South Lake Union Trolley is off to a good start!
Speaking of Doctor Who, Catherine Tate makes stuff up. It would be more accurate to say that she's predicting Tennant leaving, not saying he is.
Scott Dunbier writes about the Godson.
We need more contracts like this one in the world.
Kevin Smith weighs in on adults who mess with kid's self-esteem.
Money folded to look like... well, people in hats. There are some good Abes and Georges even. It's Moneygami!
Which is better, real or fake Christmas trees? Personally, I have a little two foot high fake tree that I adore, and I plan on using it until it cannot support its lights anymore.
Much better gift wrapping.
A local politician tested toys for lead, and 10 percent of them were unsafe. Nice. Let's just poison the next generation, hey?
Wowio users, download to support Bill Mantlo.
Ah, yes... upgrading to XP from Vista.
Cutre Overload is proud to be mentioned by National Geographic. Eddie McBlobbules, heh.
In the MetaFilter tradition: . (for Dan Fogelberg)
Lifehacker's 2007 Guide to Free Software and Webapps. I'm already using a few of those, and downloaded more after reading the list.
I really don't like dramatic versions of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but I have no problem with the original text, some of the genius of which filkertom points out. The language of the story is just amazing. I just get tired of seeing it constantly.
First Nations teacher kidnapped... er, taken from school, causing a wee bit of concern.
Finding a son at Lowe's Hardware Store. An impressive story, I thought.
Google still hasn't fixed the garbage with Google Reader, although they've made half-hearted attempts to address some of the issues. I'm enjoying playing with Bloglines Beta, which has me reading some of my feeds in a different way.
Ah, finally an SUV gets what it deserves. The South Lake Union Trolley is off to a good start!
Labels: Christmas, Doctor Who, Google, Links, News, Wizard of Oz
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Blogging
Day 16's airline worker got a station clock on Day 17 and a train traffic signal on Day 18. And today's new minifig is a ... sanitation worker in orange coat and green pants, complete with a push broom. I want an elephant for him to clean up after, but I'm pretty sure I won't get one. I don't think it would fit in the little advent compartments.
Labels: Christmas, LEGO, LEGO Advent
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Ripples Through Time - 180
I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.
Adventure #257 (February 1959) - The Imitation Aquaman
A criminal undergoes a series of operations to give him Aquaman's powers, then goes on a crime spree.
Glove Color: Green.
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.
Quotefile: Open text box, "A bold scheme! An amazing medical operation! ... And a fantastic fish-man streaks through the ocean brine to challenge Aquaman's lawful rule of the deep! Here is a creature whose greed is matched only by his cunning to the extent that even the King of the Seven Seas is menaced by ... The Imitation Aquaman"
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman commands crabs and lobsters to gather tons of oysters. Octopi toss them against rock to crack the shells. Swordfish hold up an old fishing net to screen out the pearls from the shells. Turtles haul the pearls in a giant shell up to the island. Later, Aquaman has whales haul a sunken galleon up from the seabed. Topo captures the doctor.
Hadley gets most of Aquaman's powers, but not the ability to command the fish. If he'd had that ability, he could've raised the treasure galleon himself and he and Doc could've had their money legally. Interestingly, Aquaman doesn't use his finny friends to stop Hadley, but instead gambles on a quirk of water.
We've had lots of fake Aquamen before! They've shown up in Adventure #127, Adventure #181, Adventure #208, and Adventure #233. Hadley wears an Aquaman uniform for no apparent reason, then Doc seems surprised when Aquaman is blamed for Hadley's crimes.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
A criminal undergoes a series of operations to give him Aquaman's powers, then goes on a crime spree.
Glove Color: Green.
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.
Quotefile: Open text box, "A bold scheme! An amazing medical operation! ... And a fantastic fish-man streaks through the ocean brine to challenge Aquaman's lawful rule of the deep! Here is a creature whose greed is matched only by his cunning to the extent that even the King of the Seven Seas is menaced by ... The Imitation Aquaman"
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman commands crabs and lobsters to gather tons of oysters. Octopi toss them against rock to crack the shells. Swordfish hold up an old fishing net to screen out the pearls from the shells. Turtles haul the pearls in a giant shell up to the island. Later, Aquaman has whales haul a sunken galleon up from the seabed. Topo captures the doctor.
Hadley gets most of Aquaman's powers, but not the ability to command the fish. If he'd had that ability, he could've raised the treasure galleon himself and he and Doc could've had their money legally. Interestingly, Aquaman doesn't use his finny friends to stop Hadley, but instead gambles on a quirk of water.
We've had lots of fake Aquamen before! They've shown up in Adventure #127, Adventure #181, Adventure #208, and Adventure #233. Hadley wears an Aquaman uniform for no apparent reason, then Doc seems surprised when Aquaman is blamed for Hadley's crimes.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
Labels: Aquaman, Ripples Through Time
RANT: Google Screws Up
Anyone using Google Reader probably already knows about the new "share with friends!" bug feature, that sends your shared items to everyone you've ever chatted with in Gmail (and more, since the folks that were getting my shared items were people I'd never actually chatted in Gmail with before, but Google won't admit to this). Apparently, some spammers have already taken advantage of Google's crappy coding and started inserting their feeds into unsuspecting people's readers.
That's not the bad part. The bad part is that Google neglected to put in an "OFF" button for thebug feature. So some people are getting spam THAT THEY CANNOT TURN OFF.
Google claims that to turn it off you just have to delete your shared items, but that only prevents people from reading what you've shared. In order to get rid of unwanted feeds from other people, you have to delete your contacts. Which is what I did. I deleted my entire Google contacts list AND all my shared items. For some people, who use Gmail for work purposes, that's not an option.
Google has really screwed this one up.
And their response when people complain? "Oh, only your friends can see it, and you just have to delete your shared items if you don't want to share!" Um, excuse me? We're talking about stuff being pushed into our readers without us subscribing to it. You aren't even addressing the problems people are reporting.
Look, I understand that Google wants to compete with Facebook and MySpace and whatnot. But forcing a social networkingbug feature onto everyone using a freakin' RSS reader, without consulting the users and without the ability to opt-out (or at least be selective of what to send and receive), is NOT the way to do it.
I call "evil" on this one. Google has done something that truly sucks for the end users, and won't fix it. I think I may just have to go back to Bloglines now. I apologize to anyone who went to Google Reader after I recommended it. I never expected them to pull such a completely moronic act.
UPDATE: Playing with Bloglines Beta, and some of the more annoying problems with Bloglines have been fixed in this newer version. I'm definitely thinking of switching back now.
That's not the bad part. The bad part is that Google neglected to put in an "OFF" button for the
Google claims that to turn it off you just have to delete your shared items, but that only prevents people from reading what you've shared. In order to get rid of unwanted feeds from other people, you have to delete your contacts. Which is what I did. I deleted my entire Google contacts list AND all my shared items. For some people, who use Gmail for work purposes, that's not an option.
Google has really screwed this one up.
And their response when people complain? "Oh, only your friends can see it, and you just have to delete your shared items if you don't want to share!" Um, excuse me? We're talking about stuff being pushed into our readers without us subscribing to it. You aren't even addressing the problems people are reporting.
Look, I understand that Google wants to compete with Facebook and MySpace and whatnot. But forcing a social networking
I call "evil" on this one. Google has done something that truly sucks for the end users, and won't fix it. I think I may just have to go back to Bloglines now. I apologize to anyone who went to Google Reader after I recommended it. I never expected them to pull such a completely moronic act.
UPDATE: Playing with Bloglines Beta, and some of the more annoying problems with Bloglines have been fixed in this newer version. I'm definitely thinking of switching back now.
Labels: Blog Reading, Google
Monday, December 17, 2007
Ripples Through Time - 179
I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.
Adventure #256 (January 1959) - The Ordeal of Aquaman
A gang of smugglers discovers Aquaman's weakness, and drop him in the desert to die.
Glove Color: Green.
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.
Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is captured when he goes to free Topo and two octopus pals from a net.
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman orders the octopi to milk cows so he can take a milk bath. The octopi hold the smugglers when Aquaman captures them. Aquaman rides Topo at the end of the story.
Quotefile: Smuggler, "Say! I got an idea! Look at Aquaman! He's gettin' weaker by the second! Know why? He can't say away from water for long!" This was after an hour out of the water.
This is it. This is the origin of the one-hour limit. At no time previous to this is a time limit put on Aquaman being out of water. He has been weaker out of water, and has indicated that he can't stay out of the water too long, but this is the first time he's had an actual time limit on him.
After one hour out of water, Aquaman starts to get weak. He survives a while longer after being tossed out of the plane into the desert (with a parachute). After a group of racers give him water from their radiators, he manages to walk five miles to the nearest town. It takes longer than an hour to walk five miles, especially if your pace isn't fast. While the story sort of implies that one hour is the magic amount of time after which Aquaman starts losing his strength, it's clear that he can survive well past a single hour, just in a much-weakened state.
Once in the town, he revives in melted skating rink water for an hour. It's not stated how far the reservoir is from the town, but Aquaman is already weak again before he gets there. This time he has a milk bath to revive, again, for an hour.
Now that we have a definitive origin for the one hour limit, it'll be interesting to see how it evolves. This was a lot later than I expected to see the limit established.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
A gang of smugglers discovers Aquaman's weakness, and drop him in the desert to die.
Glove Color: Green.
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.
Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is captured when he goes to free Topo and two octopus pals from a net.
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman orders the octopi to milk cows so he can take a milk bath. The octopi hold the smugglers when Aquaman captures them. Aquaman rides Topo at the end of the story.
Quotefile: Smuggler, "Say! I got an idea! Look at Aquaman! He's gettin' weaker by the second! Know why? He can't say away from water for long!" This was after an hour out of the water.
This is it. This is the origin of the one-hour limit. At no time previous to this is a time limit put on Aquaman being out of water. He has been weaker out of water, and has indicated that he can't stay out of the water too long, but this is the first time he's had an actual time limit on him.
After one hour out of water, Aquaman starts to get weak. He survives a while longer after being tossed out of the plane into the desert (with a parachute). After a group of racers give him water from their radiators, he manages to walk five miles to the nearest town. It takes longer than an hour to walk five miles, especially if your pace isn't fast. While the story sort of implies that one hour is the magic amount of time after which Aquaman starts losing his strength, it's clear that he can survive well past a single hour, just in a much-weakened state.
Once in the town, he revives in melted skating rink water for an hour. It's not stated how far the reservoir is from the town, but Aquaman is already weak again before he gets there. This time he has a milk bath to revive, again, for an hour.
Now that we have a definitive origin for the one hour limit, it'll be interesting to see how it evolves. This was a lot later than I expected to see the limit established.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
Labels: Aquaman, Ripples Through Time
Sunday, December 16, 2007
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Blogging
Day 14 was a sink, day 15 a control panel. Those must go with the oil guy. So I wonder what will come up in the next two days for today's airline worker?
Labels: Christmas, LEGO, LEGO Advent
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Christmas Tree Ornaments
So we've been invited to a party tonight. The request was that no presents be brought except for a "tacky Christmas Tree ornament". I took that to heart and printed out an internet image and its reverse and made a tacky little slapdash ornament. Hubby-Eric, however, is an artist in his soul. And he decided to use today's Doctor Who Advent Calendar item. That's right, he printed it out, carefully cut it out, and made a "Heavenly Host Christmas Tree Ornament".
And I took a picture of it after he finished so you could all see it.
And I took a picture of it after he finished so you could all see it.
Labels: Christmas, Doctor Who
Friday, December 14, 2007
Ripples Through Time - 178
I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.
Adventure #255 (December 1958) - Aquaman's Double Trouble!
In a series of rescues, Aquaman must choose between two disasters to help, but in each case the ones he didn't help are also rescued.
Glove Color: Green.
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.
Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is knocked out by the poison gas and expects to die.
Quotefile: Aquaman, "Hmmm... If I assist the plane, the manta is doomed! If I help the fish, fifty people may drown! Yet my choice is clear! People are more important than fish!" Glad you set us straight on that, Aquaman.
Finny Friends Report: Topo alerts Aquaman to the downed plane. Swordfish cut it free from the seaweed, then flying fish pull it into the sky. Aquaman rides Topo through the storm. Again, Topo alerts Aquaman to the freighter breaking up on the surface. Aquaman summons squid to hold the ship together, and a herd of whales to tow it to safety. In his last rescue, Aquaman warns the fish away from the poison gas. Electric eels come and charge the subs batteries, then Topo acts as a propeller to get them to the surface.
Aquaman first has to choose between saving a manta or saving the lives of humans aboard a plane that has crashed. In his second rescue, he has to choose between two men in a diving bell or the crew of a freighter. In the last rescue, his choice is between the crew of a submarine or his own life. In every case he chooses the larger number of lives.
Aquaman last met someone claiming to be Neptune in Adventure #205. In that story, the guy was a fraud. In this story, it's definitely implied that Neptune is not only real, he's the god Neptune, and he approves of Aquaman.
The Golden Age was like the original Scooby Doo stories: the villain was always playing a trick, not really a monster. In the older tales, Aquaman is the only person in the tale who has powers. We're clearly into the Silver Age, because now we've had two stories in a row in which Aquaman is not the only one with powers.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
In a series of rescues, Aquaman must choose between two disasters to help, but in each case the ones he didn't help are also rescued.
Glove Color: Green.
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.
Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is knocked out by the poison gas and expects to die.
Quotefile: Aquaman, "Hmmm... If I assist the plane, the manta is doomed! If I help the fish, fifty people may drown! Yet my choice is clear! People are more important than fish!" Glad you set us straight on that, Aquaman.
Finny Friends Report: Topo alerts Aquaman to the downed plane. Swordfish cut it free from the seaweed, then flying fish pull it into the sky. Aquaman rides Topo through the storm. Again, Topo alerts Aquaman to the freighter breaking up on the surface. Aquaman summons squid to hold the ship together, and a herd of whales to tow it to safety. In his last rescue, Aquaman warns the fish away from the poison gas. Electric eels come and charge the subs batteries, then Topo acts as a propeller to get them to the surface.
Aquaman first has to choose between saving a manta or saving the lives of humans aboard a plane that has crashed. In his second rescue, he has to choose between two men in a diving bell or the crew of a freighter. In the last rescue, his choice is between the crew of a submarine or his own life. In every case he chooses the larger number of lives.
Aquaman last met someone claiming to be Neptune in Adventure #205. In that story, the guy was a fraud. In this story, it's definitely implied that Neptune is not only real, he's the god Neptune, and he approves of Aquaman.
The Golden Age was like the original Scooby Doo stories: the villain was always playing a trick, not really a monster. In the older tales, Aquaman is the only person in the tale who has powers. We're clearly into the Silver Age, because now we've had two stories in a row in which Aquaman is not the only one with powers.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
Labels: Aquaman, Ripples Through Time
Random Thoughts
More New Frontier stories. I'm there.
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #133. Indiana Jones, Jessica Drew, and Power Rangers.
Leezle Pon, the greatest ever Green Lantern.
D'oh!
Heh: I want this. Just to be annoying.
Spike Jones.
More on Texas science being doomed.
The Baseball scandal: 12 Former Mariners Named in the Mitchell Report. Not the ones I expected, either. The one I most expected wasn't in the report, which doesn't mean he didn't do drugs, just that he hasn't been caught yet. The Times also compiled a full list of players mentioned in the report. I knew the drug abuse was happening, and it's one big reason baseball has become more meaningless to me over the last few years. I'm still bitterly disappointed in every one of these guys, and sick over what we might learn about other players in the future.
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #133. Indiana Jones, Jessica Drew, and Power Rangers.
Leezle Pon, the greatest ever Green Lantern.
D'oh!
Heh: I want this. Just to be annoying.
Spike Jones.
More on Texas science being doomed.
The Baseball scandal: 12 Former Mariners Named in the Mitchell Report. Not the ones I expected, either. The one I most expected wasn't in the report, which doesn't mean he didn't do drugs, just that he hasn't been caught yet. The Times also compiled a full list of players mentioned in the report. I knew the drug abuse was happening, and it's one big reason baseball has become more meaningless to me over the last few years. I'm still bitterly disappointed in every one of these guys, and sick over what we might learn about other players in the future.
Labels: Baseball, Comic Book Urban Legends, Comic Books, Links, Mariners, War on Science, Webcomics
Remembering the Non-Existent
The Mysterious Thunderbird Photo. I tend to think this is the same phenomena as I experienced in Wizard of Oz fandom, regarding a film clip that I SWEAR I've seen, but either doesn't exist or at least doesn't exist in the form I remember it existing in.
The Thunderbird Photo is a "frontier snapshot of a dead Thunderbird nailed to a wall with six men standing in front of it to demonstrate its size". Many people in the world of Cryptozoology remember the photo, but it apparently doesn't exist. There are many theories, as outlined in the MetaFilter post, but until someone pulls up some evidence, no one knows why so many folks remember a non-existent photo.
The Oz film clip is one that many people claim (in e-mails to my husband's website) was at the end of the movie. It is not. I remember it as being a very short part of a documentary on the Wizard of Oz. But my husband, who is an Oz fan and the whole reason I would have seen such a scene, doesn't remember it at all. The scene depicts Dorothy, after her family has left, finding the ruby slippers on her dresser. That's all.
My question to my readers... do you remember either of the above (or better yet, can direct me to them), or do you have any other examples of things that don't exist that lots of people remember?
The Thunderbird Photo is a "frontier snapshot of a dead Thunderbird nailed to a wall with six men standing in front of it to demonstrate its size". Many people in the world of Cryptozoology remember the photo, but it apparently doesn't exist. There are many theories, as outlined in the MetaFilter post, but until someone pulls up some evidence, no one knows why so many folks remember a non-existent photo.
The Oz film clip is one that many people claim (in e-mails to my husband's website) was at the end of the movie. It is not. I remember it as being a very short part of a documentary on the Wizard of Oz. But my husband, who is an Oz fan and the whole reason I would have seen such a scene, doesn't remember it at all. The scene depicts Dorothy, after her family has left, finding the ruby slippers on her dresser. That's all.
My question to my readers... do you remember either of the above (or better yet, can direct me to them), or do you have any other examples of things that don't exist that lots of people remember?
Labels: Cryptozoology, Wizard of Oz
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Ripples Through Time - 177
I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.
Adventure #254 (November 1958) - The Menace of the Electric Man!
After gaining electrical powers, Roy Pinto terrorizes the seas as the Electric Man.
Glove Color: Green
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.
Aqua-Exclamations: "Shades of Davy Jones!"
Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is shocked repeatedly by the Electric Man.
Quotefile: Aquaman, "I-I may be King of the Sea, but I can't fight lightning flashes!"
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman rides Topo in his first attack on the Electric Man. Topo creates a spring to send Aquaman onto Electric Man's boat. Topo and another octopus eventually capture Electric Man for Aquaman, after Aquaman insulates them from the electricity.
This is the first Aquaman tale that feels like a Silver Age story to me. It's got a super-powered villain, complete with origin. Aquaman uses his usual tactics of outsmarting the bad guy. But the fact that he's up against someone more powerful than the usual pirates, and not someone using tricks, makes this feel more modern.
It's a pity that Roy Pinto goes back to a life of crime after apparently finding useful work. He supplies fish to aquariums, and clearly works hard at it. We even see him repairing a generator. And yet the captions are biased against him and he goes right back to a criminal life as soon as he discovers his powers. As usual, Aquaman recognizes the crook on sight.
Electric Man is the first truly super-powered villain Aquaman faces. He's the first of many. And as silly as the rest. He wears a headpiece with an antenna on it to attract lightning to him, which he then uses in crime. He also hurls charged discs at his victims. He can only work in lightning storms.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
After gaining electrical powers, Roy Pinto terrorizes the seas as the Electric Man.
Glove Color: Green
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.
Aqua-Exclamations: "Shades of Davy Jones!"
Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is shocked repeatedly by the Electric Man.
Quotefile: Aquaman, "I-I may be King of the Sea, but I can't fight lightning flashes!"
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman rides Topo in his first attack on the Electric Man. Topo creates a spring to send Aquaman onto Electric Man's boat. Topo and another octopus eventually capture Electric Man for Aquaman, after Aquaman insulates them from the electricity.
This is the first Aquaman tale that feels like a Silver Age story to me. It's got a super-powered villain, complete with origin. Aquaman uses his usual tactics of outsmarting the bad guy. But the fact that he's up against someone more powerful than the usual pirates, and not someone using tricks, makes this feel more modern.
It's a pity that Roy Pinto goes back to a life of crime after apparently finding useful work. He supplies fish to aquariums, and clearly works hard at it. We even see him repairing a generator. And yet the captions are biased against him and he goes right back to a criminal life as soon as he discovers his powers. As usual, Aquaman recognizes the crook on sight.
Electric Man is the first truly super-powered villain Aquaman faces. He's the first of many. And as silly as the rest. He wears a headpiece with an antenna on it to attract lightning to him, which he then uses in crime. He also hurls charged discs at his victims. He can only work in lightning storms.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
Labels: Aquaman, Ripples Through Time
Blogging Is My Favorite Pastime on Thursdays
The Library Problem. How to organize a home library of thousands of books?
The Bad Astronomy Blog's Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2007.
Star Wars Toys that Never Made It.
The Beat asks if Free on the web equals sales?
Writer's interrupt taping of a talentless twit's show.
My friend David Maxine is blogging! Cool!
Wow. Our eBay auctions are a fascinating look into the consumer mind. Dr Fate is the only one that had bids on him as of this writing.
New Jersey abolishes the death penalty.
As if I needed another reason to avoid McDonalds "food", they are actually fining people in England who stay too long in their parking lots! It's the Lincoln Park Pirates all over again.
Making Lights asks what is the first major news event you personally remember. The first big one, after the Bicentennial celebrations when I was four, was the Mt St Helens eruption when I was eight. The first time I realized that history was still happening.
The Bad Astronomy Blog's Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2007.
Star Wars Toys that Never Made It.
The Beat asks if Free on the web equals sales?
Writer's interrupt taping of a talentless twit's show.
My friend David Maxine is blogging! Cool!
Wow. Our eBay auctions are a fascinating look into the consumer mind. Dr Fate is the only one that had bids on him as of this writing.
New Jersey abolishes the death penalty.
As if I needed another reason to avoid McDonalds "food", they are actually fining people in England who stay too long in their parking lots! It's the Lincoln Park Pirates all over again.
Making Lights asks what is the first major news event you personally remember. The first big one, after the Bicentennial celebrations when I was four, was the Mt St Helens eruption when I was eight. The first time I realized that history was still happening.
Labels: Astronomy, eBay, Food, Health, History, Library, Links
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Blogging
Another workman, this guy has an oil company patch on his shirt. Very Christmas-y. Uh-huh.
Labels: Christmas, LEGO, LEGO Advent
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Hey Kids, Links!
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Day 11 & 12: A street sign (danger sign?) and a handtruck with a barrel of oil.
Readers Digest's Condensed Seduction of the Innocent. Lovely. Via.
I'm a sucker for LOLCats, and now there's LOLScience. Here's LOL_NASA. Yes, I'm easily amused. Good thing, too.
Fangoria's back issues are now collectibles. Ouch.
GO Norm Johnson! I always liked him when he was a Seahawk.
The "War on Christmas" gets nasty. I don't get why people who claim to be Christian can blaspheme against Christ's name like that. But then, it was most likely a bunch of jerks looking for a fight anyway.
On that note: The Bible According To Google Earth.
Mark Evanier in Spamalot.
Visual in-jokes in Pixer Productions. I hadn't heard about a few of these before.
Worried about what will happen when TVs all go digital? Worry no more.
I want.
Well, vodka does mean "water". Yikes.
The Princess Bride Game.
Top News Story: Female bodies are designed for pregnancy!
Best Buy Regrets stupid Cease & Desist letter.
Hey, who is decorating the freeway?
PI!
Woody Allen on the Writer's Strike.
Readers Digest's Condensed Seduction of the Innocent. Lovely. Via.
I'm a sucker for LOLCats, and now there's LOLScience. Here's LOL_NASA. Yes, I'm easily amused. Good thing, too.
Fangoria's back issues are now collectibles. Ouch.
GO Norm Johnson! I always liked him when he was a Seahawk.
The "War on Christmas" gets nasty. I don't get why people who claim to be Christian can blaspheme against Christ's name like that. But then, it was most likely a bunch of jerks looking for a fight anyway.
On that note: The Bible According To Google Earth.
Mark Evanier in Spamalot.
Visual in-jokes in Pixer Productions. I hadn't heard about a few of these before.
Worried about what will happen when TVs all go digital? Worry no more.
I want.
Well, vodka does mean "water". Yikes.
The Princess Bride Game.
Top News Story: Female bodies are designed for pregnancy!
Best Buy Regrets stupid Cease & Desist letter.
Hey, who is decorating the freeway?
PI!
Woody Allen on the Writer's Strike.
Labels: Astronomy, Cats, Comic Books, LEGO, Links, Math, Seahawks, TV, Writing
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Ripples Through Time - 176
I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.
Adventure #253 (October 1958) - The Ocean of 1,000,000 B.C.
While charting a seabed cavern, Aquaman is thrown into the past and must save a caveman before returning to the present.
Glove Color: Green.
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo appears in one panel near the beginning of the story.
Aqua-Exclamations: "Suffering Sharks!"
Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is pulled through a whirlpool timewarp, but he doesn't pass out.
Quotefile: Aquaman, "I never fail to marvel over my command of the finny ones! Big or small, they all obey me!"
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman's subject parade before him at the start of the story. At the end, some luminous fish illuminate the drawing of Aquaman and the caveman.
You know, this story might explain why the cavemen in Adventure #184 knew about Aquaman and trusted him. Hey, it's time travel! Why not? Ok, so this is the Silver Age Aquaman, and that was the Golden Age Aquaman.
Ah, cavemen hanging out with dinosaurs! Wonderful science in this one.
Aquaman faces off against a brontosaurus, a fire-breathing sea serpent, a stegosaurus, a giant eel, and a pterodactyl. He uses his belt buckle to attract lightning and defeat the eel and pterodactyl using "the story of Benjamin Franklin's kite".
Aquaman's rescue of the caveman is memorialized on the cavern wall by the caveman, just like in the previous caveman story.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
While charting a seabed cavern, Aquaman is thrown into the past and must save a caveman before returning to the present.
Glove Color: Green.
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo appears in one panel near the beginning of the story.
Aqua-Exclamations: "Suffering Sharks!"
Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is pulled through a whirlpool timewarp, but he doesn't pass out.
Quotefile: Aquaman, "I never fail to marvel over my command of the finny ones! Big or small, they all obey me!"
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman's subject parade before him at the start of the story. At the end, some luminous fish illuminate the drawing of Aquaman and the caveman.
You know, this story might explain why the cavemen in Adventure #184 knew about Aquaman and trusted him. Hey, it's time travel! Why not? Ok, so this is the Silver Age Aquaman, and that was the Golden Age Aquaman.
Ah, cavemen hanging out with dinosaurs! Wonderful science in this one.
Aquaman faces off against a brontosaurus, a fire-breathing sea serpent, a stegosaurus, a giant eel, and a pterodactyl. He uses his belt buckle to attract lightning and defeat the eel and pterodactyl using "the story of Benjamin Franklin's kite".
Aquaman's rescue of the caveman is memorialized on the cavern wall by the caveman, just like in the previous caveman story.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
Labels: Aquaman, Ripples Through Time
Unrelated to Anything Else
Today's morning weigh-in shows that I've lost 105 pounds since I started my efforts on June 10th 2006.
Labels: Health, Unrelated to Anything Else, Weight Loss
Monday, December 10, 2007
Ripples Through Time - 175
I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.
Adventure #252 (September 1958) - The Robinson Crusoe of the Sea
While rescuing a ship, Aquaman is doused with a chemical that makes him allergic to the salt in sea water.
Glove Color: Green.
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.
Aqua-Exclamations: "Shades of Davy Jones!"
Captured/Knocked Out report: The effects of the chemical knock Aquaman unconscious, and Topo has to pull him ashore.
Quotefile: Aquaman, "Well, Robinson Crusoe survived in a similar situation. With my fish to help me, I think I can do as well."
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman starts the tale riding Topo, as usual. Topo saves Aquaman's butt by pulling him to dry land when he passes out. A whale and some sawfish widen the channel and help Aquaman set up a system of waterways on the island. Topo and a fellow octopus help Aquaman build a house. Topo notices fruit trees, but Aquaman notes that there a wild bobcats in the trees, so a group of turtles help shield Aquaman and Topo as they go hunting for provisions. When Aquaman spots the pirate attack, a group of octopi throw a barrage of rocks at the pirates. Then seagulls drop lobsters on the pirates, which attack the pirates. Topo squirts Aquaman with sea water throughout the battle, and Aquaman only figures out at the end that the chemical has worn off and Topo was trying to tell him.
We've seen this story before. Well, the concept of Aquaman being unable to touch water is a re-used one. We saw it in Aventure #107 and Adventure #152. Admittedly, it's a slightly different twist than the previous stories, but you have to wonder how many times Aquaman can be exiled from the sea.
Aquaman references both Robinson Crusoe and the biblical story of David and Goliath in this tale.
A strange coloring issue... Aquaman is wearing his gloves in the scene in which Topo would have first noticed that Aquaman wasn't having a negative reaction to the sea water, but in the flashback memory of it, Aquaman's hands are colored as flesh, without gloves. Almost makes you wonder how often he removes his gloves in a day.
There is STILL no one hour limit. Yes, he might be using fresh water, as the chemical apparently made him react to the salt in sea water, but it's never stated. It just wasn't a concern.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
While rescuing a ship, Aquaman is doused with a chemical that makes him allergic to the salt in sea water.
Glove Color: Green.
Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.
Aqua-Exclamations: "Shades of Davy Jones!"
Captured/Knocked Out report: The effects of the chemical knock Aquaman unconscious, and Topo has to pull him ashore.
Quotefile: Aquaman, "Well, Robinson Crusoe survived in a similar situation. With my fish to help me, I think I can do as well."
Finny Friends Report: Aquaman starts the tale riding Topo, as usual. Topo saves Aquaman's butt by pulling him to dry land when he passes out. A whale and some sawfish widen the channel and help Aquaman set up a system of waterways on the island. Topo and a fellow octopus help Aquaman build a house. Topo notices fruit trees, but Aquaman notes that there a wild bobcats in the trees, so a group of turtles help shield Aquaman and Topo as they go hunting for provisions. When Aquaman spots the pirate attack, a group of octopi throw a barrage of rocks at the pirates. Then seagulls drop lobsters on the pirates, which attack the pirates. Topo squirts Aquaman with sea water throughout the battle, and Aquaman only figures out at the end that the chemical has worn off and Topo was trying to tell him.
We've seen this story before. Well, the concept of Aquaman being unable to touch water is a re-used one. We saw it in Aventure #107 and Adventure #152. Admittedly, it's a slightly different twist than the previous stories, but you have to wonder how many times Aquaman can be exiled from the sea.
Aquaman references both Robinson Crusoe and the biblical story of David and Goliath in this tale.
A strange coloring issue... Aquaman is wearing his gloves in the scene in which Topo would have first noticed that Aquaman wasn't having a negative reaction to the sea water, but in the flashback memory of it, Aquaman's hands are colored as flesh, without gloves. Almost makes you wonder how often he removes his gloves in a day.
There is STILL no one hour limit. Yes, he might be using fresh water, as the chemical apparently made him react to the salt in sea water, but it's never stated. It just wasn't a concern.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
Labels: Aquaman, Ripples Through Time
More Links
It's Human Rights Day.
Florida Doomed, says Phil Plait.
An Illustrated History of Trepanation. Just in case you weren't feeling queasy today.
American Elf Archives are now free, which means I'm willing to use RSS to follow them, since it means I probably won't keep getting errors when I try to look at previous day's strips.
Why Chinese signs with English translations often feature the F-word. Short answer: faulty translation software.
Tell the producers of your favorite show what you think about their refusal to give writers their due.
WSDOT photos, lots of flood pictures in this flickr set.
An author has been chosen to finish the Wheel of Time series.
Nokia bizarrely claims the Ogg format is proprietary, which it isn't, because it's open source. Very odd.
If I go down to Olympia, I wanna stop and get some BBQ.
We're ebaying to try to pay the bills, check out our listings.
For Family and Friends only:
My Christmas wishlist: The only thing I really want is gift certificates for Kiva.org. Any gift I get is invested in a small business in the developing world. When that business pays me back, I relend the money to someone else, thus supporting a bunch of people with a very small gift. As a bonus, you can follow along at my Kiva page to see what I do with your gift. I, personally, don't need a lot. I have plenty of junk. Helping other folks up is the greatest gift anyone can give. So that's my Christmas wishlist. Note: Kiva also accepts donations to keep running their service. That's a good gift, too.
Florida Doomed, says Phil Plait.
An Illustrated History of Trepanation. Just in case you weren't feeling queasy today.
American Elf Archives are now free, which means I'm willing to use RSS to follow them, since it means I probably won't keep getting errors when I try to look at previous day's strips.
Why Chinese signs with English translations often feature the F-word. Short answer: faulty translation software.
Tell the producers of your favorite show what you think about their refusal to give writers their due.
WSDOT photos, lots of flood pictures in this flickr set.
An author has been chosen to finish the Wheel of Time series.
Nokia bizarrely claims the Ogg format is proprietary, which it isn't, because it's open source. Very odd.
If I go down to Olympia, I wanna stop and get some BBQ.
We're ebaying to try to pay the bills, check out our listings.
For Family and Friends only:
My Christmas wishlist: The only thing I really want is gift certificates for Kiva.org. Any gift I get is invested in a small business in the developing world. When that business pays me back, I relend the money to someone else, thus supporting a bunch of people with a very small gift. As a bonus, you can follow along at my Kiva page to see what I do with your gift. I, personally, don't need a lot. I have plenty of junk. Helping other folks up is the greatest gift anyone can give. So that's my Christmas wishlist. Note: Kiva also accepts donations to keep running their service. That's a good gift, too.
Labels: Christmas, DRM, eBay, Food, Kiva, Links, War on Science, Weather, Webcomics, Writing
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Blogging
Today we get a generic workman.
Labels: Christmas, LEGO, LEGO Advent
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Sunday Thoughts
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Day 8 & 9: a luggage cart and satellite/radar dish.
It's snowing up here:
Let's hope we don't have a repeat of last weekend.
Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies with Maple Cinnamon Glaze. Um, yum?
It's snowing up here:
Let's hope we don't have a repeat of last weekend.
Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies with Maple Cinnamon Glaze. Um, yum?
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Saturday Links
Mark Evanier on the WGA strike. Looks like we're in it for the long haul. Good. I've got a lot of shows to catch up on.
CNN has more on the C64. Heh.
Since I just discovered Sheldon, the webcomic, I hadn't yet read the storyline mentioned in this post which explains a little more about the characters. You can start here and just click forward. But I found this strip to be puggily true.
Lean Poison and Gasoline.
CNN has more on the C64. Heh.
Since I just discovered Sheldon, the webcomic, I hadn't yet read the storyline mentioned in this post which explains a little more about the characters. You can start here and just click forward. But I found this strip to be puggily true.
Lean Poison and Gasoline.
Friday, December 07, 2007
More Links
YAY! Comics came in! And I was right, Northlanders is even better in color.
More of Leonard Kirk's Balls! (yes, it's worksafe).
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #132. Zombies, Eternals, and Rogue.
Speed Racer Trailer.
All FCBD Comics must be suitable for all ages. This is to protect retailers. I approve.
An interview with Gabe's Grandfather about WWII and Gaming.
Ah, I too was a child of the Commodore 64. Good memories... yeah. I have a C64 emulator on my PC just for nostalgia's sake.
Sex Education book It's Perfectly Normal is ruled to be not obscene. I checked it out of my local library when I first heard about this case, and found it to be a wonderful book that I wish I'd had when I hit puberty. People who are terrified of nudity will disagree with me.
Portland, Douglas Adams, and 42nd Street.
Wil Wheaton rants about DRM.
Wow! The Bad Astronomer actually linked to me! Wow.
More of Leonard Kirk's Balls! (yes, it's worksafe).
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #132. Zombies, Eternals, and Rogue.
Speed Racer Trailer.
All FCBD Comics must be suitable for all ages. This is to protect retailers. I approve.
An interview with Gabe's Grandfather about WWII and Gaming.
Ah, I too was a child of the Commodore 64. Good memories... yeah. I have a C64 emulator on my PC just for nostalgia's sake.
Sex Education book It's Perfectly Normal is ruled to be not obscene. I checked it out of my local library when I first heard about this case, and found it to be a wonderful book that I wish I'd had when I hit puberty. People who are terrified of nudity will disagree with me.
Portland, Douglas Adams, and 42nd Street.
Wil Wheaton rants about DRM.
Wow! The Bad Astronomer actually linked to me! Wow.
Labels: Comic Book Urban Legends, Comic Books, Doctor Who, Free Comic Book Day, History, Leonard Kirk, Links, Wil Wheaton
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Blogging
Um. Today we get an airport worker. I have no idea why.
Labels: Christmas, LEGO, LEGO Advent
Thursday, December 06, 2007
I-5 Reopens!
Yay! My comic books might actually make it to town tomorrow! Northlanders #1! Dramacon Vol 3! PS238 #28!
Labels: Comic Books, Weather
Linkdump
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Day 5 & 6: More flood appropriate items, a roadblock and a detour sign!
Wonderful blog on Sherri Shepherd. (If you don't know what this is about, read this link).
Um, Happy Chanakuh.
What's in a Name?
Awww, Kitties and Self-Image.
The 9 Most Racist Disney Characters. I won't quibble. Historically, Disney has a lot of garbage in its past.
The Halifax Disaster, and a hero.
I'm at least 6 of the 56 Geeks listed on the poster and Flicker Set.
Congrats to Bill Barnes for a major jump. By the way, if you don't read the strip, you ought to. My sister and I both love it, and I've got all the collections.
Speed Racer live-action photos. Oh. Wow. I was never really into Speed Racer, but WOW.
The Year 1999 as envisioned in the 1960's.
DRM has never worked.
Cool ambigram!
Wonderful blog on Sherri Shepherd. (If you don't know what this is about, read this link).
Um, Happy Chanakuh.
What's in a Name?
Awww, Kitties and Self-Image.
The 9 Most Racist Disney Characters. I won't quibble. Historically, Disney has a lot of garbage in its past.
The Halifax Disaster, and a hero.
I'm at least 6 of the 56 Geeks listed on the poster and Flicker Set.
Congrats to Bill Barnes for a major jump. By the way, if you don't read the strip, you ought to. My sister and I both love it, and I've got all the collections.
Speed Racer live-action photos. Oh. Wow. I was never really into Speed Racer, but WOW.
The Year 1999 as envisioned in the 1960's.
DRM has never worked.
Cool ambigram!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
No Comics For Me
The comics bound for our comic book shop are on the other end of this mess:
Associated Press via Seattle PI, December 4, 2007
Associated Press via Seattle PI, December 4, 2007
Associated Press via Seattle PI, December 4, 2007
Associated Press via Seattle PI, December 4, 2007
Labels: Comic Shop, Seattle, Weather
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Flooded Links
Talking about the weather. This image from the Seattle PI will probably be the single-most vivid memory of this event I've got, since Woodinville is my stomping grounds. I recognize that sign.
Karen Ducey, Seattle PI, 3 Dec 2007
But this other image, of the tressel, is also pretty intense. As I think I've actually been on that particular tressel in the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train.
Karen Ducey, Seattle PI, 3 Dec 2007
There are some more interesting photos of the weather and local news, taken by regular folk instead of reporters. I live just to the west of Woodinville, in Bothell.
And, oh, if you want to get to Portland from Seattle (or vice versa), you have to take a detour, since I-5 through Chehalis is shut down due to massive flooding. Just a little detour. Only 440 miles. Of course, for a short time yesterday, Snoqualmie Pass was also closed, which meant that your extra four hour drive turned into an extra eight hours.
Moving on to Non-Weather News...
Mark Evanier clarifies on the Writer's Strike (personally, I'm very happy about the strike, as it will allow Eric and I to catch up on some older shows we missed).
The Gospel of Judas doesn't say what they said that it said. Er...
Bone socks. I want Bone Gloves.
Why DMCA is stupid.
Want to get to that magical $25 on Amazon? Metafilter directs us to the Amazon Filler Item Finder, for those times when you just need a *little* more product to avoid paying for shipping.
I still haven't topped level 46 at FreeRice.
Karen Ducey, Seattle PI, 3 Dec 2007
But this other image, of the tressel, is also pretty intense. As I think I've actually been on that particular tressel in the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train.
Karen Ducey, Seattle PI, 3 Dec 2007
There are some more interesting photos of the weather and local news, taken by regular folk instead of reporters. I live just to the west of Woodinville, in Bothell.
And, oh, if you want to get to Portland from Seattle (or vice versa), you have to take a detour, since I-5 through Chehalis is shut down due to massive flooding. Just a little detour. Only 440 miles. Of course, for a short time yesterday, Snoqualmie Pass was also closed, which meant that your extra four hour drive turned into an extra eight hours.
Moving on to Non-Weather News...
Mark Evanier clarifies on the Writer's Strike (personally, I'm very happy about the strike, as it will allow Eric and I to catch up on some older shows we missed).
The Gospel of Judas doesn't say what they said that it said. Er...
Bone socks. I want Bone Gloves.
Why DMCA is stupid.
Want to get to that magical $25 on Amazon? Metafilter directs us to the Amazon Filler Item Finder, for those times when you just need a *little* more product to avoid paying for shipping.
I still haven't topped level 46 at FreeRice.
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Blogging
Now we get a utility worker, which is good news for the flooded Pacific Northwet. Get to work, LEGO dude!
Labels: Christmas, LEGO, LEGO Advent
Monday, December 03, 2007
A Few Small Links
Applying Comics. Just go look. Seriously, go look. Be sure to Explore The Quilt In Detail. Wow. WARNING: Historical racism in this link.
Attack of the mummy dinosaur! Way cool! National Geographic has more. As does Washington Post.
Not a new crater: How "blending" the seams made a false feature appear on the moon.
Coin Parodies by Daniel Carr, who designed the actual New York and Rhode Island state quarters.
Oh Dear. Read the comic, then join up with External Delivery, the group that argues for the existence of Santa.
Attack of the mummy dinosaur! Way cool! National Geographic has more. As does Washington Post.
Not a new crater: How "blending" the seams made a false feature appear on the moon.
Coin Parodies by Daniel Carr, who designed the actual New York and Rhode Island state quarters.
Oh Dear. Read the comic, then join up with External Delivery, the group that argues for the existence of Santa.
Labels: Astronomy, History, Links, Science, War on Science
Home Stuff
Seattle Weather Update: Urban flooding, as the rain started as soon as the snow stopped, and the rain hasn't let up since. Schools are closed on the coast because of high winds, power outages, and flooding. Locally, the drains can't handle the load and we've got flooding bad enough that some business parks are closing due to rising waters! We're well on the way to breaking the 24-hour record for rain (5.02 inches, set Oct 20, 2003). Lovely! The good news is that the rest of the week will be really calm and normal. We just have to ride out this one last storm.
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Day 3: I'm not sure what this is supposed to be. A chest with flaming bottles in it. Maybe Molotov cocktails?
Ha! One of the major annoyances of my drive to work has its own website! I wish it had an RSS feed.
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Day 3: I'm not sure what this is supposed to be. A chest with flaming bottles in it. Maybe Molotov cocktails?
Ha! One of the major annoyances of my drive to work has its own website! I wish it had an RSS feed.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Sunday Night Links
Happy Birthday Elayne!
The Emerald City Comicon has a new announcement up, including artwork for the con from Tim Sale showing the Hulk and... just go look.
I have always liked Popeye. I loved the cartoon as a little kid. I wonder what that says about me?
Brian Wood has a fascinating blog entry on the inspiration for artists. Very neat stuff there.
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #131. Star Wars, Purple Gloves, and The Legion.
This post applies to me... Blogging on infinite Earths?
Amelia Rules to become a Musical. Cool.
The Webby Awards' 12 Most Influential Online Videos of All Time. I'm surprised at how many of these I have seen, and I'd at least heard of all of them.
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Day 2: A fire hydrant and supply case for the fireman. The supply case includes a walkie talkie, axe, and fire extinguisher.
Augie on Charity Overload. I agree with him mostly, except for the Girl Scouts (at least they are selling and not begging). And I never have any problem saying "no" to anyone sitting outside a grocery store.
Special Instructions To Players. "In fact, it is so over the top that at first we thought it was some type of a joke. But as we examined the paper, found that this language did exist in the 1890s, considered that general rowdiness and the use of obscene language by players were big issues in baseball in this era, and noted that the accompanying items were all from the same era, we soon realized that that this was not a joke at all."
I've gotten as high as level 46 at FreeRice, but never stay up there for long. I'm usually in the low 40s. Has anyone reached 50?
The Bad Astronomer has news from Texas regarding its doomage.
Oh dear, too funny: Newlywed Terrorists.
Teenage Mutant Turtle, must train to be Ninja.
The Emerald City Comicon has a new announcement up, including artwork for the con from Tim Sale showing the Hulk and... just go look.
I have always liked Popeye. I loved the cartoon as a little kid. I wonder what that says about me?
Brian Wood has a fascinating blog entry on the inspiration for artists. Very neat stuff there.
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #131. Star Wars, Purple Gloves, and The Legion.
This post applies to me... Blogging on infinite Earths?
Amelia Rules to become a Musical. Cool.
The Webby Awards' 12 Most Influential Online Videos of All Time. I'm surprised at how many of these I have seen, and I'd at least heard of all of them.
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Day 2: A fire hydrant and supply case for the fireman. The supply case includes a walkie talkie, axe, and fire extinguisher.
Augie on Charity Overload. I agree with him mostly, except for the Girl Scouts (at least they are selling and not begging). And I never have any problem saying "no" to anyone sitting outside a grocery store.
Special Instructions To Players. "In fact, it is so over the top that at first we thought it was some type of a joke. But as we examined the paper, found that this language did exist in the 1890s, considered that general rowdiness and the use of obscene language by players were big issues in baseball in this era, and noted that the accompanying items were all from the same era, we soon realized that that this was not a joke at all."
I've gotten as high as level 46 at FreeRice, but never stay up there for long. I'm usually in the low 40s. Has anyone reached 50?
The Bad Astronomer has news from Texas regarding its doomage.
Oh dear, too funny: Newlywed Terrorists.
Teenage Mutant Turtle, must train to be Ninja.
Labels: Astronomy, Baseball, Blogging, Brian Wood, Comic Book Urban Legends, Elayne, LEGO, Links, Terrorism, Video, War on Science
Seattle Weather Update
Snow turned into rain late last night, and big chunks of ice started falling on the roof. The cars coming back from the State Championship Football Game (Bothell lost) hit high levels of slush. By morning the roads were clear because there was no overnight freeze. Yay! Now the windstorm is moving in. If I don't post, it's because the power is out.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Saturday Links
The Doctor Who Advent Calendar is up!
Update on the writers' strike from Mark Evanier. It's not looking good. Oh well.
TV shows take on comics culture with a variety of success.
Click on the dots, trap the cat. It's easier to win this game than it is to put the average cat into a cat carrier.
But for vocabulary building for a good cause, try FreeRice.
Just a thought... any Islamic person who is angry about the teddy bear is insulting their own religion and making Islam look like a farce to the rest of the world.
Another legend of my childhood gone. Farewell, and good luck on that motorcycle jump in the sky, Evel Knievel.
The Bad Astronomer reports that Texas is doomed, and follows up with even more doomage. Let's just say that if you want a science education, you won't want to go to Texas for it.
Cats: PurrCast. Podcasts of purring.
When threatened by angry Samurai, does the world record holder for race walking (Jefferson Perez from Ecuador) continue to walk, or will he run?
And yeah, it's still snowing. Huh. I figured we'd have rain by now.
Update on the writers' strike from Mark Evanier. It's not looking good. Oh well.
TV shows take on comics culture with a variety of success.
Click on the dots, trap the cat. It's easier to win this game than it is to put the average cat into a cat carrier.
But for vocabulary building for a good cause, try FreeRice.
Just a thought... any Islamic person who is angry about the teddy bear is insulting their own religion and making Islam look like a farce to the rest of the world.
Another legend of my childhood gone. Farewell, and good luck on that motorcycle jump in the sky, Evel Knievel.
The Bad Astronomer reports that Texas is doomed, and follows up with even more doomage. Let's just say that if you want a science education, you won't want to go to Texas for it.
Cats: PurrCast. Podcasts of purring.
When threatened by angry Samurai, does the world record holder for race walking (Jefferson Perez from Ecuador) continue to walk, or will he run?
And yeah, it's still snowing. Huh. I figured we'd have rain by now.
Labels: Cats, Doctor Who, Food, Memorial, TV, War on Science, Writing
The Promised Pictures of Snow
It's only just started, but here's some snow...
Eric and I went out for a walk to hopefully get a bit of exercise in before it became to slippery to walk. When we started out, we couldn't see much by way of snow. A couple of flakes here and there.
I looked down to the pavement to check my footing (our sidewalks aren't in good shape in this town) and heard Eric say, "There's the snow!" I looked up, and the sky was filled with snow. It got in my eyes, blinding me. Literally between one step and the next the snow starting pouring down.
By the time we got home it was coming down hard and starting to stick to the sidewalks. It's still pouring down as I write. The annual Seattle snow! Huzzah! I can't wait to see how the local news is reporting it. "Winter Storm 2007!" With different reporters all over town standing out in the cold saying the same thing, I bet.
Update: an hour later, it's sticking to the road now. And yup, Northwest Cable News has special storm coverage! yay!
Eric and I went out for a walk to hopefully get a bit of exercise in before it became to slippery to walk. When we started out, we couldn't see much by way of snow. A couple of flakes here and there.
I looked down to the pavement to check my footing (our sidewalks aren't in good shape in this town) and heard Eric say, "There's the snow!" I looked up, and the sky was filled with snow. It got in my eyes, blinding me. Literally between one step and the next the snow starting pouring down.
By the time we got home it was coming down hard and starting to stick to the sidewalks. It's still pouring down as I write. The annual Seattle snow! Huzzah! I can't wait to see how the local news is reporting it. "Winter Storm 2007!" With different reporters all over town standing out in the cold saying the same thing, I bet.
Update: an hour later, it's sticking to the road now. And yup, Northwest Cable News has special storm coverage! yay!
Labels: CameraPhone, Seattle
2007 LEGO Advent Calendar Blogging
Because nothing says "Christmas" like a fireman with a buzzsaw!
Labels: Christmas, LEGO, LEGO Advent
